science

Protocol converter

Protocol converter is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Protocol converter rather than just read about it. In short: In computer networking, a protocol converter is a device used to convert standard or proprietary protocol of one device to the protocol suitable for the other device or tools to achieve the desired interoperability. Protocols are software installed on the routers, which convert the data formats, data rate and protocols of one network into the protocols of the network in which data is navigating.

Key takeaways

Protocol converter belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Protocol converter to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Protocol converter from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computer networking, a protocol converter is a device used to convert standard or proprietary protocol of one device to the protocol suitable for the other device or tools to achieve the desired interoperability. Protocols are software installed on the routers, which convert the data formats, data rate and protocols of one network into the protocols of the network in which data is navigating. There are varieties of protocols used in different fields like power generation, transmission and distribution, oil and gas, automation, utilities, and remote monitoring applications. The major protocol translation messages involve conversion of data messages, events, commands, and time synchronization.

General architecture

The general architecture of a protocol converter includes an internal master protocol communicating to the external slave devices and the data collected is used to update the internal database of the converter. When the external master requests for data, the internal slave collects data from the database and sends it to the external master. There will be different schemes for handling the spontaneous reporting of events and commands. There can be different physical medium for communication on protocol-X & Y, which include RS-232, RS-485, Ethernet, etc.

Applications of protocol converters Protocol Converter applications vary from industry to industry. The protocol converter can be a software converter, hardware converter, or an integrated converter depending on the protocols.

Some of the key applications are: Substation automation Building automation Process automation The major protocols used in each area of application are listed under List of automation protocols.

Latency and engineering issues in using protocol converters Protocol Converters are generally used for transforming data and commands from one device or application to another. This necessarily involves transformation of data, commands, their representation, encoding and framing to achieve the conversion. There are simple and complex types of conversions depending on the application and domain in which this is being used. The simplest and most commonly used conversion is protocol conversion between Modbus RTU and Modbus TCP. In this conversion, there is no change in the overall framing. Hence it is easy to take the Serial Modbus RTU frame and encapsulate it in a TCP/UDP socket and send it over Ethernet. Since both the protocol framings are the same, except for the actual physical layer transmission, both the application layers will interpret data similarly as long as the communication interfaces are made transparent. However, there do exist very complex conversions, for example: where the data is formatted, the data types supported, the object models, etc. They are so different that the conversion engine needs to make modifications not only in framing, but in mapping information for each type of data, command, and in some cases, the object models. Also, there might be user configurations required in defining the mapping of supported and non-supported data types These transformations, however, bring about conversion advantages, communication delay, processing latency, and an overall end to end processing time which is finite and needs to be considered in all solution designs. The latency of end-to-end communication depends on the processing delay of the hardware and/or software being used, the protocol & conversion complexity, and the solution architecture. These latencies can vary for typical industrial and energy automation applications from 10 to 20 milliseconds to as high as 1 second. Solution architectures using protocol converters need to consider this latency and how it will impact the project for which converters are being considered. Also, the majority of such architectures would involve configuration and mapping which both require considerable engineering effort and engineering time. These need to be considered while defining project schedules.

See also List of automation protocols Vehicle bus List of network protocols Universal gateway Cloud storage gateway

External links Protocol Converter for Real Time management system White-Paper: Impact of using protocol converters for substation modernization projects using iec 61850

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Protocol converter

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Protocol converter claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Protocol converter before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Protocol converter ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Protocol converter

In research: Protocol converter appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Protocol converter in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Protocol converter is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics International Electrotechnical Commission, Interoperability, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Protocol converter outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Protocol converter in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Protocol converter means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Protocol converter out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Protocol converter in simple terms?

Why does Protocol converter matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Protocol converter?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Protocol converter.